Happy Valentine’s Weekend.

For you lovebirds out there, I know this year might present unique challenges in finding a gift for your significant other.

A nice romantic meal at a restaurant is probably out. Cut flowers are lovely but don’t last long. And let’s face it – many of us have already put on some pounds during the pandemic, so chocolates might not be appreciated.

Can I suggest a beautiful flowering plant as an alternate Valentine’s gift this year? It has all the romance of flowers except it lasts longer and will be happily blooming long after you’ve finished off that box of Lindt or Whitman chocolates.

We’ve got a great selection of flowering houseplants at Warner’s right now, ranging from the easy-to-maintain to the exotic. Impress your beloved with one of these:

• Anthurium – an almost perfect Valentine’s Day plant, with leaves and deep red flowers that are heart-shaped.
• African Violets – petite and pretty, these cute plants are easy to cultivate in a small space.
• Flowering Jasmine – while not all jasmine flowers are fragrant, the variety commonly used for growing jasmine indoors has a sweet aroma, particularly at night. 
• Cyclamen – For centuries, these plants have been associated with matters of the heart. In fact, ancient Greek lore talks about using the plant to make food that would cause a person to fall madly in love. (Do NOT attempt this; the plant is not meant to be eaten and in fact consuming it raw could make you sick).
• Orchids – Exotic and elegant, these beautiful flowers make a statement. They are also perfect for a loved one who suffers from allergies; orchid pollen is not airborne. Instead it is stored in a waxy substance on the plants, making them essentially hypoallergenic.

If you need help picking out the perfect flowering plant to present to your loved one this weekend, our staff is ready to help with advice and suggestions.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Misti

Winter may be one of the best times for bird-watching. With the foliage down, it is easier to see and enjoy your backyard residents.

While certain species like hummingbirds migrate to warmer climates in winter, there’s still a rich diversity of birds to see year-round.

These birds could use your help to make it through the winter, and here are a few tips that will make their lives a little easier with the cold weather.

Warmth: Birds have a bunch of different strategies to keep warm in winter. Some grow additional feathers. They “fluff” themselves to create air pockets that increase the insulation ability of their down. Some even slow their metabolism to conserve energy, and more social birds like chickadees huddle together in the night.

• You can help by keeping bird boxes clean and keep trees that have cavities, which are popular nesting spots.

Water: During the winter, fresh water is crucial to a bird’s survival. While birds can eat snow, that costs them precious energy. Plus water is valuable not only for drinking but for preening. Those extra winter feathers won’t help them if they can keep them clean.

• You can help by keeping at least one birdbath in the garden that is consistently filled with fresh water. A heated birdbath is a plus, but more importantly place your birdbath where the birds will be safe (i.e., not near a place where predators like cats can hide and then pounce).

Food: Birds spend more calories to keep warm in the winter and therefore need more nourishment.

• You can help by providing a variety of food through your garden vegetation and feeds. Suet, thistle, sunflower seeds, dried berries, fruit and seed assortments that are readily available will benefit a diverse population of birds. Also, if you have a dying tree, think about keeping it (unless it’s a hazard) this winter. These trees are great places for birds to find insects to feast on, and their cavities make great resting places.

We hope you and your birds are enjoying this winter. We’ve got a great selection of bird food, feeders and baths that can help you help the birds this winter.

Happy gardening (and bird-watching),
Misti

Any regular reader of this column knows that I have love in my heart for family-run businesses. Warner’s itself is now on its fourth generation of family members working at the nursery with my three sons helping out when school’s not in session.

Today, I want to tell you about another family business out of Salem Oregon that we’ve been working with during the holidays for many years – it’s the Stone clan that grows and ships our Christmas trees to us each year.

Mike Stone was just 13 when he got started in the business. He purchased his first piece of property and paid for it by harvesting the trees on the land. When he got married, his bride joined the business and Mike ultimately passed the company down to his three sons. The company was renamed BTN of Oregon after the first names of those sons – Ben, Tyler and Nathan.

But there’s another reason I love the operations at BTN besides their being another awesome family business. It’s because their trees fly.

I’m not kidding.

BTN trees spend the first three years of their lives either in a seed bed or a greenhouse, after which they are transplanted and grow outside for several more years. They are sheared during that time to create the perfect taper shape and the lower 6 inches of tree limbs are removed by hand in order to create a “handle” on every tree, essentially the part you’ll put in a tree stand many years later.

It’s a nice quiet life right up until they are shipped. Then crews go into the fields to cut trees for upcoming orders and this happens:

Yes, that’s a flying Christmas tree. It’s expensive, but the Stones say using helicopters is the cleanest, most efficient way to get the trees to the staging areas where they are baled and loaded onto trucks. About 1,500 trees an hour can be moved using the helicopters.

Despite the many forest fires that have devastated the west coast, the trees at BTN have not been affected and we’ll be getting our shipment of Douglas, Noble and Nordman firs next week.

Warner’s will be offering both cut and live, potted trees this year. We have pre-ordering, delivery, and disposal services available. We look forward to seeing you and helping you find that special tree. Happy holidays – from the Stone and Warner families to yours.

Happy Holidays,
Misti

As a local family business with more than five decades in northern Arizona, we have a special love for our community and the many companies that make our mountain town a wonderful place to live and work.

During this pandemic, we’ve been lucky – our industry and situation as a mostly outdoor nursery meant we were able to remain open. Other businesses have not been so fortunate.

That’s why we are so excited to be participating in Locals 4 Locals this coming week. It’s a Facebook-based event where local businesses buy gift cards from fellow businesses and give them away on Facebook.

On Wednesday, November 11, we’ll be inviting you to comment online about what you love about these businesses and choosing winners to receive the gift cards.

Participating is easy – just get onto your Facebook account, visit our page and look for our Local 4 Local posts on Nov. 11. Comment on the giveaway posts created by us to be entered to win the gift cards. If you are selected, we will private message you and ask you to pick up your gift card.

Here’s the businesses and organizations we have purchased gift cards from that will be up for grabs this Wednesday:

• Aspen Sports
• Bright Side Bookshop
• Café Daily Fare
• Dara Thai
• Karma Sushi Bar & Grill
• MartAnne’s Burrito Palace
• Mountain Sports
• Orpheum Theater
• Paragon Athletics
• Peace Surplus
• Salsa Brava

Many thanks to Mountain Mojo Group and Deep Roots Landscaping for hosting this digital event. We love our fellow Flagstaff businesses and are excited for this chance to support them. #FlagstaffStrong 

Happy Gardening (and Happy Shopping),
Misti

It’s autumn and that means the weather has gotten a little crisper and your flower beds and veggie plots are pretty much done for the year. But that doesn’t mean that your gardening has to stop. It just requires you to move your green thumb indoors.

Plants in your home or where you work have lots of terrific benefits for your physical and emotional health. Acting as the “lungs” of your indoor space, they breathe in the carbon dioxide we give off and provide us with oxygen. They also remove many airborne toxins from the air as well and studies show they have a calming effect that boost our mood and creativity.

Plus they are an attractive addition to your home decor, whether they are in a pot on your windowsill, in a terrarium or hanging from the ceiling.

Here’s a few of my favorites, all of which are easy to care for:

• Zamioculcas, also known as the ZZ or eternity plant, tops my list. I love the clean look of the plant, with it’s strong stems and shiny leaves. Also, truthfully, I don’t spend much time indoors and ZZ doesn’t really mind being ignored. It only needs water every once in a while, never gets bugs and basically cares for itself.
• My second favorite is the Snake plant! This is a tidy little plant that doesn’t drop its leaves all over the place. They come in many different varieties and I really like the newer variegated versions. This is another low maintenance plant that never has pest or disease issues.
• And I always have room for some succulents. This is another type of plant that seems to have endless varieties. In fact, one of my favorite things is to do a mixed planter of small succulents and then change them out seasonally.

If you are new to houseplants, there are some ones that are pretty fool-proof, like pothos and spider plants, which also are among the ones recommended for their air-cleaning benefits. If you want to go for more sophisticated or unusual plants, there are bromeliads and orchids.

I’m often asked how many houseplants should you have in your home. I like the idea of having enough so that you can see one or two from pretty much anywhere in your house. On the other hand you don’t want it to feel cramped. 

I hope you are enjoying your fall and that we’ll see you soon to show you our wide range of beautiful houseplants.

Happy (Indoor) Gardening,
Misti